Emma took a deep breath, letting the air of Pawis fill her lungs. "Ah, not much different," she muttered, standing just outside the arrival gate. She glanced around, debating whether to head straight to her hotel or take a chance to explore a bit before her boss arrived. The city's energy seemed to buzz around her, drawing her in with an undeniable excitement.
Suddenly, she pointed to her right, exclaiming dramatically, "Let's go and clear my mind! Here I come, Pawis!"
With excitement in her heart, Emma strolled through the streets, feeling a strange familiarity she couldn't quite place. The city unfolded before her like a dream—almost like déjà vu. Charming boutiques lined the streets, cosy cafés spilled onto cobblestone sidewalks, and artists set up easels along the riverbank, capturing the beauty around them.
Just then, someone brushed past her, jostling her shoulder. "Oh! I'm so sorry," the stranger muttered, bending down to retrieve a magazine that had slipped from his hands. Emma glanced down and froze. Right there on the cover was a photograph of the man from her flight—the same confident gaze, the same enigmatic smile. The headline proclaimed him as "Pawis's Successful Young Businessman of the Month."
Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the picture, a bunch of questions flooding her mind. She tilted her head, pursing her lips. "Ah, maybe just someone who looks like him," she mumbled, brushing it off. Adjusting her bag, she continued wandering through the bustling streets. Everything felt almost too perfect, like it had been pulled straight from one of her daydreams.
As she turned a corner, a magazine stand caught her eye. Blinking in disbelief, she spotted another cover with a headline announcing, The City's Most Eligible Bachelor, Leon Gray!
"Wait," she murmured, rolling her eyes up thoughtfully. "So, he's a businessman?" The thought slipped from her lips.
"Who?" a familiar voice asked from behind her.
Startled, Emma stumbled backward, and the man quickly reached out, steadying her by the waist before she could fall. She blinked up at him, frozen.
"Um... maybe you can straighten up now?" he teased, snapping her out of her daze.
"Oh, sorry… sorry…" she stammered, adjusting her footing. Then, a spark of indignation lit up her expression. "Wait—why am I apologising? You're stalking me, aren't you?" Her voice echoed, drawing a few curious glances.
He chuckled, finding her reaction amusing. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I was just heading this way, and you happened to fall right into my arms. Like fate, maybe?" His smile widened, and he added, "Okay, I realise that sounds a little... strange. I'll let you be." He gave a small, friendly nod before heading toward a nearby coffee shop.
Emma let out a soft sigh, gently rubbing her chest as a strange feeling settled there. She couldn't quite put it into words. Her eyes followed him as he disappeared into the coffee shop, and she glanced up at the sign above: Café Lumière. "Why do I feel like I've heard that name before?" she murmured to herself, then paused, lost in thought. "Hmm, maybe it's just a coffee shop I Googled before." She brushed it off and continued walking until her steps brought her to a halt in front of a bookstore.
"Emma, control yourself. Your bookshelf is already full," she muttered, shaking her head as she moved forward. Just then, the chime of the bookstore door rang, making her turn.
"Would you like to check out some new books? We're having a promotion," said the middle-aged woman, who appeared to be around forty, smiling warmly at her.
Emma's heart gave a little leap, as though the bookstore itself was calling to her. Without a second thought, she stepped inside, the chime of the door ringing like an invitation. As she wandered through the aisles, her fingers grazing the spines of the books, something caught her eye.
With a soft thud, a book tumbled from the shelf, landing perfectly open on the floor, as if it had been waiting for her. Emma raised an eyebrow, bemused. "Well, that's one way to get my attention." She crouched down, her curiosity piqued, and peeked at the open page. The words caught her breath: "In a world not so far from our own, a man searches for a woman who holds the key to his heart. Only she can mend the fractures of his existence."
"Wait..." Her mind froze as her gaze snapped upward. The words echoed in her mind, pulling her back to last Saturday—a boring weekend spent cleaning her bookshelf. Those same exact words had appeared at the back of the first book her mother had given her on her eighteenth birthday, right before she disappeared. The eerie familiarity made her pulse quicken. "What is this?"
Feeling goosebumps rise over her entire body, she stood up and rushed out of the bookstore. Pausing just outside, she let her eyes wander around. At first glance, nothing seemed different. But this time, as she looked closer, small details tugged at her attention. The coffee shop—the name on the sign was different now. She turned to her right, trying to find her way back to the main road, but then noticed the same magazine stand she'd seen a few moments ago looked… slightly off.
"Maybe it's nothing," she murmured, trying to brush off the feeling and forcing herself to think positively as she walked away.
But then Emma paused, hesitating as an urge to check inside the coffee shop one more time tugged at her. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned back. The moment her gaze landed inside, she let out a sigh of relief as she spotted the man sitting by the window, casually sipping his coffee.
"Ah, I need to sleep after this. My imagination is running wild," she mumbled to herself, turning away and heading back to the main road.
Meanwhile, the man in the coffee shop glanced at her, an unreadable expression flickering across his face.